Book III – The Truth about the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the Risale-i Nur Collection (2/3) Passages From the Emirdag Addendum

I have many times indicated in my letters that THE SPIRITUAL ENTITY OF THE HOLY COMMUNITY THAT HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) FROM FAMILY OF MUHAMMAD (SAAS) REPRESENTS (49)HAS THREE DUTIES. (51) If the Day of Judgment does not come to pass very soon and people do not totally turn away from the (true) path, then we hope from the mercy of Allah that his community and sayyids (those descended from the line of the Prophet Muhammad (saas)) will perform those duties. And HE (50)WILL HAVE THREE GREAT DUTIES(51). (Emirdag Addendum, p. 259)

In this passage, Bediuzzaman is saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come in the End Times and there will be three great tasks that Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his blessed community will discharge:

49) The Spiritual Entity of The Holy Community That Hazrat Mahdi (as) From Family of Muhammad (saas) Represents:

In this passage, Bediuzzaman clarifies a few issues concerning Hazrat Mahdi (as) at one and the same time. In the words “THAT HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) FROM FAMILY OF MUHAMMAD (SAAS) REPRESENTS,” Bediuzzaman recalls that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be a descendant of our Prophet (saas). There is certainly no possibility of a collective personality being descended from anyone. Only a person can be descended from someone else. Bediuzzaman emphasizes this fact here, saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality, but a “PERSON.”

In this extract, Bediuzzaman also reminds us that Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his community is two separate concepts, once again revealing the invalidity of the idea that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a “collective personality.” By referring to the “spiritual entity of the holy community that HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) FROM FAMILY OF MUHAMMAD (SAAS) REPRESENTS,” Bediuzzaman is saying that “Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a community,” and that “Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be its leader and represent it.” In order for Hazrat Mahdi (as) to have a community, Hazrat Mahdi (as) must first exist as an individual. Because it is of course impossible for a collective personality to have its own community. Bediuzzaman is stating this fact in this passage. We can also understand this situation set out by Bediuzzaman by asking a few questions:

1- What does Bediuzzaman say that Hazrat Mahdi (as) from Family of

Muhammad (saas) represents?

The spiritual entity of his holy community.

2- Who does Bediuzzaman say represents the spiritual entity of the holy community?

Hazrat Mahdi (as).

The answers to these questions reveal once again that Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his collective personality is two distinct concepts.

Bediuzzaman says that there will be a spiritual community of believers alongside Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the End Times, and that the person who leads that community will be Hazrat Mahdi (as), a descendant of our Prophet (saas). Indeed, in the words of the final sentence of this passage, “HE WILL HAVE THREE GREAT DUTIES,” Bediuzzaman means that the spiritual community alongside Hazrat Mahdi (as), with him at its head, will discharge these three tasks.

Indeed, a definition of the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) as invisible forces, such as spiritual entities, spirits or meanings, would be at total odds with the law of Allah revealed in the verses of the Qur’an. No messenger or prophet has ever come in the form of a collective personality in history. Much detailed information is provided in the Qur’an about the lives, struggles and messages of messengers sent to various communities. Until the very end of their lives they have called the people to whom they were sent to the true faith, warned them of Allah’s punishment and bestowed the glad tidings of Paradise on believers. They responded to the pressure, traps and struggle against the true faith on the part of the deniers in their communities with fortitude and trust in Allah and called on them to live in a way that would be pleasing to Him. All this shows that no messenger has ever been sent as a spiritual personality, but rather as individuals.

This law of Allah that has been applied for hundreds of years also applies, as it does to the rest of Islamic history, to the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as). However, like all the other prophets and messengers, the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will also have their collective personalities. We are told in the Qur’an that there have been communities of believers around all the prophets and messengers there have ever been, and that these have followed the true path shown by them. All the people who believe in the messengers and all their actions performed together with those messengers constitute these messengers’ collective personalities. This can clearly be seen in the stories about the prophets in the Qur’an. For example, the people of our Prophet (saas) represented his collective personality. But this formed on the condition of the Prophet’s (saas) existence. This will not change in the End Times. As Bediuzzaman has said the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will personally exist as leaders of guidance at the head of the communities of believers accompanying them.

50) He:

Bediuzzaman uses the pronoun “HE” in the context of Hazrat Mahdi (as), once again making it clear that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “AN INDIVIDUAL.” This is the same pronoun that Bediuzzaman uses for the “2. TIME” from the beginning of the book in reference to Hazrat Mahdi (as). These repetitions by Bediuzzaman show that he is quite certain that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “AN INDIVIDUAL.”

As Bediuzzaman says, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have three great tasks to perform. In discharging these three duties, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a spiritual community around him. These great tasks are the ones that will be performed by “Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his spiritual community.” However, as Bediuzzaman emphasizes in the words “HE will have three duties,” Hazrat Mahdi (as) will discharge these by personally assuming the leadership of this community.

51) He will Have Three Great Duties:

Bediuzzaman reveals that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have “THREE GREAT DUTIES, not one or two duties.” Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) performing these three tasks together with the community he represents. Bediuzzaman tells that this is one of the important signs that distinguish Hazrat Mahdi (as) from the mujaddids who came before him, and that allow him to be identified.

These three great responsibilities were not fully discharged in the time of any other Islamic scholar. In his works, Bediuzzaman says that the mujaddids who preceded Hazrat Mahdi (as) discharged only one of his duties. But he says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will appear in the End Times will perform these three tasks together and, because of this, he will be given the title of the “Great Mahdi” of the End Times.

Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) first duty:

Under the influence of SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY, and the spread of MATERIALISM, DARWINISM AND ATHEISM epidemic spreading into humanity, the first duty of the Hazrat Mahdi (as) is first of all to SAVE FAITHSO AS TO ENTIRELY SILENCE PHILOSOPHY AND MATERIALIST THINKING (52). To protect the faithful from perversion… (Emirdag Addendum, p. 259)

In this passage, Bediuzzaman describes the first of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) great duties. According to this the first duty of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “to save faith so as to entirely silence atheistic and materialist philosophies:”

52) So As To Entirely Silence Philosophy and Materialist Thinking:

1- Science and Philosophy:

In this passage Bediuzzaman notes how under the influence of science and philosophy, irreligious trends that deny Allah, such as materialism, Darwinism and atheism, have spread. Bediuzzaman says that the first task of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is to completely silence these movements by neutralizing them and to save people’s faith.

Bediuzzaman particularly notes the effect of “science and philosophy” in the context of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) first duty. Science and philosophy are instrumental in giant strides and a better conception of the existence and names of Allah, when they make progress with the perspective of people who approach these matters with an awareness of faith. As Bediuzzaman also says, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will stop science being used to mislead people by the adherents of materialism. With the rapid advances in technology in the End Times, there will be developments in many branches of science. The evidences of Allah’s Existence and the signs leading to faith on earth will be brought out into the open through scientific evidence. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will use the most effective means of communicating these facts and will eventually achieve a global result. Only through such powerful methods can the corruption of the messiah antichrist of the End Times be eliminated.

2-The Epidemic of Materialism, Darwinism and Atheism:

Materialism and atheism are heretical ideas that inflict terrible disasters on the mankind. Darwinism represents the basis for materialism and atheism. Darwinism maintains that the universe and life came into being spontaneously as the result of blind coincidences. It has been impossible until today to intellectually silence this movement, which is the worst deception of the last 150 years. Darwinism will be completely eliminated in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as) through the latest findings of modern science and advancing technology. The silencing of the worst corruption mankind has ever known will take place in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as).

In this passage, Bediuzzaman speaks of Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will “SO AS TO ENTIRELY SILENCE PHILOSOPHY AND MATERIALIST THINKING” and thus be instrumental in saving people’s faith in Allah. Bediuzzaman reports that atheist philosophies will pose a danger in the End Times, that Darwinist and materialist philosophies will draw strength from atheism and that they will become dangerous enough to deny the existence of Allah. For that reason, Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) first duty will be to strive against materialist, Darwinist and atheist philosophies based on the denial of Allah and to totally eliminate these philosophies’ influence over people. Bediuzzaman’s use of the term “SO AS TO ENTIRELY SILENCE” is highly significant here. Materialism has continued to gain strength in Turkey and worldwide in Bediuzzaman’s time, as well as after his death in the 1960s and up to the present. Its effects have increased with the development of television and radio channels and with the support of the written press. In other words, materialist propaganda continued to grow after the death of Bediuzzaman right up to the 21st century.

Therefore, and as he says himself, no full resolution of this had come about in Bediuzzaman’s time. Bediuzzaman’s use of the term “SO AS TO ENTIRELY SILENCE” in this passage is a reference to this. Hazrat Mahdi (as) has been given the global task of rescuing people’s faith by means of the collapse of materialism, atheism and Darwinism. The intellectual struggle initiated by Bediuzzaman himself but that did not fully come to an end will continue with and be eventually concluded by Hazrat Mahdi (as).

By saying, “TO ENTIRELY SILENCE,” Bediuzzaman indicates that only Hazrat Mahdi (as) can emerge “in total victory” out of this struggle.

Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) second duty:
TO REVIVE THE ESSENCE OF ISLAM (54) WITH THE TITLE OF THE SUCCESSOR OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAAS) (53).TAKING THE UNION OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD (55) as his foundation, it is to save people from spiritual and physical dangers, and from the wrath of Allah. For this duty, there needs to be a foundation, its servants, and AN ARMY WITH MILLIONS OF MEMBERS (56).” (Emirdag Addendum, p. 259)

According to Bediuzzaman’s statements, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will unite Muslims, who are fragmented into various small groupings and will revive Islamic moral values and virtues and the true Sunnah of our Prophet (saas). He will be instrumental in bringing about the unity of the Islamic world and freeing mankind from physical and spiritual dangers, and thus in their avoiding the wrath of Allah:

53) With The Title of The Successor of The Prophet Muhammad (saas):

By saying “WITH THE TITLE OF THE SUCCESSOR OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAAS)” Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will assume the leadership of the Islamic world. Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) attributes of “reviving Islam as THE LEADER OF ISLAM COMMUNITY and bringing about the global union of Islam by acting together with the physical and spiritual strength of a community of millions of members” are not events that came about in the time of either Bediuzzaman or of any earlier mujaddid. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi performed incomparable services in the name of Muslims and the Islamic world throughout the course of his life and was instrumental in many people coming to the truth, drawing close to Allah and growing in faith. He left behind him works that are still important guides to salvation for Muslims and has enlightened all Muslims with his knowledge and foresight. There is no doubt that the great thinker Bediuzzaman is the mujaddid of the 13th century. But it has not occurred of him being “THE LEADER OF ALL MUSLIMS” as the Prophet (saas) describes in the hadiths. These great events that will bestow great and glad tidings on all Muslims will, by Allah’s leave, take place in the End Times, and it is Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will bear that title. By describing this matter with the full evidence, Bediuzzaman clearly stated that he was not the Mahdi of the End Times.

Today there are more than 1 billion Muslims in the world. This is the first time ever that Muslims have been so numerous. Nobody has ever led such a vast community before. As Bediuzzaman gave the good news, by Allah’s leave, it is the “Great Mahdi” of the End Times who will bear this honorable title.

54) To Revive the Essence of Islam:

By saying “TO REVIVE THE ESSENCE OF ISLAM,” Bediuzzaman is saying that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) second task is to revive the essential elements of Islamic moral values. The word “REVIVE” that Bediuzzaman employs here is exceedingly important. The word means “to restore to life.” Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be instrumental in people to live by the moral values of Islam all across the world. Bediuzzaman sowed the seeds for this, but as he says, this “revival in the manner of restoration to life” is going to be fully realized through Hazrat Mahdi (as).

55) Taking The Union of The Islamic World:

In these words Bediuzzaman states that one of the duties of Hazrat Mahdi (as), one that no other former reviver of religion accomplished, is the “ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ISLAMIC UNION.” This unity was removed after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the last state under whose umbrella Muslims around the world united. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be instrumental in the establishment of this unity once again and bring millions of Muslims together. Bediuzzaman also stated that, based on this unity, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will deliver humanity from material and spiritual perils and be instrumental in their having fear of Allah’s wrath. As Bediuzzaman also stresses, the establishment of the Islamic Union, and carrying the title of this union’s leadership were not accomplished in his own time nor in the times of the former revivers. Nor has it been so in our time yet. Bediuzzaman stresses this fact and reminds that these events are among the most important portents for the recognition of Hazrat Mahdi (as). When Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears, Allah will make him known to all people by means of these events that he will be instrumental in.

56) An Army with Millions of Members:

In Referring to “AN ARMY WITH MILLIONS OF MEMBERS,” Bediuzzaman speaks of the existence of a mass of people who will assist Hazrat Mahdi (as) in bringing this union about. Bediuzzaman says that there will be knowledgeable and devout communities that will help Hazrat Mahdi (as) address the entire humanity of the Oneness and Existence of Allah and His facts of creation, and perform wide-ranging services regarding faith.

Bediuzzaman speaks of himself as a soldier of this knowledgeable army who will prepare the way for it in advance in other passages in his works. There has been no mass movement supporting and assisting Bediuzzaman’s service in his own day. As Bediuzzaman reiterates many times in his works, the disciples of the Nur, a very limited community, performed great faith-related services with very limited means and with great self-sacrifice. Bediuzzaman says that the support of such a mass movement will only come about in the End Times and that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be responsible for making this task a reality.

Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) third duty:
With the weakening of Qur’anic stipulation as times change … THAT INDIVIDUAL (57)WILL SEEK TO FULFILL THAT THIRD OBLIGATION (62)WITH THE SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE OF ALL THE FAITHFUL (58), and THE COOPERATION OF THE ISLAMIC UNION(59), AND THE SOLIDARITY AMONG ALL MUSLIMS, THE ULAMA (60) and, in particular, THE CONTRIBUTION OF MILLIONS OF DEVOTED SAYYIDS (THOSE DESCENDED FROM THE LINE OF THE PROPHET (SAAS)) WHO ARE MIGHTY AND MANY IN EVERY CENTURY(61). (Emirdag Addendum, p. 260)

In this passage, Bediuzzaman sets out the third of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) tasks, to be instrumental in people returning to religious moral values at a time when the moral virtues of the Qur’an are ignored, to bring about Islamic Union, and there will be a great many devout individuals who support him in these great duties.

57) That Individual:

Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as “THAT INDIVIDUAL” in these extracts and also in many parts of the Risale-i Nur. Bediuzzaman makes it clear by using the words, “THAT” and “INDIVIDUAL” to clearly indicate that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective or spiritual entity, but a “PERSON.”

This is also the “THIRD TIME” from the beginning of the book that Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) using the word “THAT.” It is also the “SECOND TIME” that he employs the word “INDIVIDUAL.” There is no doubt that Bediuzzaman, who has great wisdom knowledge, uses these terms deliberately, and all Muslims are thus accurately informed that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “AN INDIVIDUAL.”

58) With The Spiritual Assistance of All The Faithful:

Bediuzzaman reveals that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will accomplish his third task with the support of significant and large masses. By saying “WITH THE SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE OF ALL THE FAITHFUL,” Bediuzzaman reveals that a union in which “ALL MUSLIMS” in alliance will assist Hazrat Mahdi (as) in this duty.

Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his followers will be courageous people drawing their strength on the love of Allah and the joy of faith. The luminosity of their faith will be instrumental in their enlightening the whole world. The wide-ranging support of an alliance that includes all Muslims never came about in Bediuzzaman’s day. As Bediuzzaman also gives the glad tidings of, the spiritual support of this mass movement will only arise with Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the End Times and will play a major role in his successful completion of his third duty.

59) The Cooperation of The Islamic Union:

Bediuzzaman refers to “THE COOPERATION OF THE ISLAMIC UNION,” saying that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) third task will also be accomplished “WITH THE HELP OF THE ISLAMIC UNION.” No such union had yet come about in Bediuzzaman’s time, and there was therefore no instance of any help from a great alliance. Bediuzzaman says that this cooperation from the Islamic Union will come about in Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) time and will provide great support in his accomplishment of the third task.

60) The Solidarity Among All Muslims, The Ulama:

Bediuzzaman says that another support for the realization of third duty of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come from “THE SOLIDARITY AMONG ALL MUSLIMS AND THE ULAMA.” The coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) has been awaited with great excitement by all Islamic scholars and believers for 1400 years. It is certain that such great support, to be provided by great scholars and teachers will play an exceedingly important role in Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) struggle and accomplishment of this task, and will establish great convenience. Note that Bediuzzaman used the word “ALL” here on purpose and said that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be supported by “all religious scholars.” Islamic scholars had never been allied to provide such great support in the time when Bediuzzaman was alive. Bediuzzaman reminds us that this participation will only take place with this task to be accomplished by Hazrat Mahdi (as).

61) The Contribution of Millions of Devoted Sayyids (Those Descended From The Line of The Prophet (saas)) Who Are Mighty and Many In Every Century:

In this passage, Bediuzzaman notes that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come from the holy line of our Prophet (saas), and that people from the ahl al-Bayt, descendants of the Prophet (saas), will be among those who support him. Bediuzzaman reveals that all Muslims, together with Islamic scholars and guides, “with the contribution of millions of devoted sayyids will take side with Hazrat Mahdi (as) and support this blessed individual.” As with the other helpers in Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) third duty, such support had never arisen either in the time of Bediuzzaman or in that of previous mujaddids. As Bediuzzaman says,“THE CONTRIBUTION OF MILLIONS OF DEVOTED SAYYIDS” will only come about in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as).

62) Will Seek To Fulfill That Third Obligation:

By saying that individual “WILL SEEK TO FULFILL THAT THIRD OBLIGATION,” Bediuzzaman is saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will “BE IN CHARGE OF THE AFFAIRS AS AN INDIVIDUAL,” and not as a collective personality. Because there can be no question of a collective personality “seeking to fulfill” an obligation. This is an action that only a human being can perform. By emphasizing this, Bediuzzaman is saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a personage.

Bediuzzaman also describes this third task that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform as a “GREAT OBLIGATION.” According to Bediuzzaman’s expression, in contrast to the services performed by the mujaddids who went before, the services that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform will be “VERY WIDE-RANGING.” Hazrat Mahdi (as) will cause the moral values of Islam to rule the world, will unite the world of Islam and will assume the leadership of all Muslims. These events, which Bediuzzaman describes as a “GREAT OBLIGATION” will be some of the most important signs in the identification of Hazrat Mahdi (as).

A GUIDE, A KIND OF MAHDI AND REFORMER COMES AND HAVE COME IN EVERY CENTURY (63), but IN TERMS OF DISCHARGING EACH OF THESE THREE DUTIES (65), NONE (64)HAVE RECEIVED THE TITLE OF THE GREAT MAHDI OF THE END TIMES (65).” (Emirdag Addendum, p. 260)

In this extract, Bediuzzaman is saying that various Muslim individuals also came in earlier centuries with the aim of making the moral values of the Qur’an rule the world, but that none was able to discharge the three tasks that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform in the End Times:

63) A Guide, a Kind of Mahdi and Reformer Comes and Have Come in Every Century:

Bediuzzaman sheds light on more than one very important matters in this passage. Bediuzzaman particularly reveals, on the basis of the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas), that a mujaddid (reviver) is sent at the beginning of every century. Bediuzzaman says in the Risale-i Nur that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come at the beginning of the Hijri 1400s (Islamic calendar) and will be a mujaddid between the Hijri 14th and 15th centuries.

Bediuzzaman also states here clearly that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality. All the mujaddids from the time of our Prophet (saas) to the Hijri 14th century have come as “INDIVIDUALS.” And this will not change in the Hijri 1400s. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will also realize his obligations as an individual. Bediuzzaman expresses this continuity by saying “COMES AND HAVE COME” in every century, making it clear that this continues as the law of Allah.

Bediuzzaman also makes clear the difference between Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the mujaddids who have been sent at different times, and reveals how Hazrat Mahdi (as) can be distinguished from these. Bediuzzaman says in his works that the mujaddids who came before Hazrat Mahdi (as) did discharge one of his three duties and were therefore performed the task of being “a kind of Mahdi and mujaddid.” However, Bediuzzaman says that only the “GREAT MAHDI”will discharge all the three duties described above at one and the same time, and that he can be distinguished from other mujaddids by means of this attribute. Thus Bediuzzaman’s use of the words “A KIND OF MAHDI” makes this quite clear. Bediuzzaman says that the people who came in the past and only performed one of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) three great duties cannot be the awaited Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the End Times, and therefore he describes these people as “a kind of Mahdi.”

64) None:

Bediuzzaman’s use of the world “NONE” shows that, like Hazrat Mahdi (as), the mujaddids who came before him have all been real people and not collective personalities. Since Bediuzzaman regards all the mujaddids sent in earlier centuries as individuals, to think that the latter “Great Mahdi,” who is noted to be also an individual in his same explanations, is a collective personality would of course be inconsistent. If that were so, all the mujaddids who came before Hazrat Mahdi (as) of the End Times must have been collective personalities. But that was never the case. Thus Bediuzzaman also makes that clear in this passage. As Bediuzzaman gives the good news of, the Great Mahdi who possesses all the characteristics set out in the accounts handed down from our Prophet (saas) will be “AN INDIVIDUAL,” who will arise in the End Times and by Allah’s leave perform these three duties set out by Bediuzzaman simultaneously.

65) In Terms of Discharging Each of These Three Duties, [None] Have Received The Title of The Great Mahdi of The End Times:

In these passages, Bediuzzaman says there are two different kinds of Mahdi. The first of these, he refers to as “previous Mahdis”, and the other, the“GREAT MAHDI” who will come in the End Times. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi has listed the duties of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and said that none but he can perform them. Because of these duties that he will discharge, he therefore refers to this person as the “GREAT MAHDI.” In his works, Bediuzzaman says that since none of the mujaddids of earlier times, himself included, who he describes as “previous Mahdis,” performed these three tasks, they could not have been the Great Mahdi. Bediuzzaman also says that another reason why these people were not given the title of Great Mahdi is that they did not meet the characteristics set out in the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas).

I DO NOT KNOW MYSELF A SAYYID [descended from the line of our Prophet (saas)] (66). Generations are not known at this time. Yet, THAT GREAT FIGURE OF THE END TIMES (67)WILL BE DESCENDED FROM OUR PROPHET (SAAS) (68). (Emirdag Addendum, p. 247-250

One of the main characteristics of Hazrat Mahdi (as) set out in the hadiths is that he is a “SAYYID,” a descendant of our Prophet (saas):

If there were only one day left for the world, that day would be lengthened until A MAN FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE OF MY HOUSEHOLD, was sent. (Sunan Abu Dawud, 5/92)

In this passage, Bediuzzaman is saying that he is not descended from the Prophet (saas), but that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be from this holy line:

66) I Do Not Know Myself A Sayyid [descended from the line of our Prophet (saas)]:

Bediuzzaman is not a sayyid [descended from the line of our Prophet (saas)], and he says the fact he is not a sayyid is one of the proofs he is not the Mahdi. No doubt, the reason one asks a question to someone is certainly to learn the truth of the matter concerned. The reason that Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was asked whether he was the Mahdi was to learn the truth about that. If he says, “No, I am not the Mahdi” and provides many pieces of evidence of that, then one has to believe him. Because Bediuzzaman answers this matter most explicitly and says, “I am not a sayyid.”

Furthermore, if Bediuzzaman were a sayyid, there would be no reason to conceal this fact. Because being a sayyid is not something to be kept hidden. On the contrary, being descended from the line of our Prophet (saas) is a great honor for Muslims. Therefore, if Bediuzzaman were a sayyid, he would explicitly state the fact, rather than hiding it. He would be honored to say that he was a descendant of our Prophet (saas). When asked, he would say, “Yes, I am a sayyid, but I am not the Mahdi.” Because, in his own works, citing the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas), Bediuzzaman says “it is incompatible with the moral values of the Qur’an for a sayyid to conceal the fact that he is a sayyid.”

Both people who claim to be sayyids when they are not and those to deny being sayyids when they are sayyids, are sinners and behaving unlawfully… it is forbidden in the hadith and the Qur’an to add anything or take anything away. (Reasonings, p. 52)

This passage from Bediuzzaman is most explicit. As revealed in the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas), according to the moral values of the Qur’an, no person who is a sayyid may conceal this fact. Neither can anyone who is not a sayyid claim to be one. It is therefore most unworthy to think that such a valuable and virtuous individual as Bediuzzaman could hide his status as a sayyid. Moreover, there is no means of everyone who is a sayyid also being the Mahdi. There are millions of sayyids in the world. Since being a sayyid does not necessarily mean one is the Mahdi, everyone can freely say they are sayyid. Furthermore, Bediuzzaman did not say, “the only thing I lack on this subject is being a sayyid, and if I were a sayyid I would be the Mahdi.” On the contrary Bediuzzaman set out at length the attributes and matchless activities of Hazrat Mahdi (as), and said that none of these had yet been performed in his day.

67) That Great Figure of The End Times:

Bediuzzaman’s reference to “THAT GREAT FIGURE [INDIVIDUAL] OF THE END TIMES” once again proves that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality. By explicitly referring to “THAT GREAT INDIVIDUAL,” Bediuzzaman is stating that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality, but a real and anticipated “PERSON.”

This is the “FOURTH TIME” that Bediuzzaman uses the word “THAT” in his statements about Hazrat Mahdi (as) since the beginning of this part. And similarly it is the “THIRD TIME” that the word “INDIVIDUAL” is used in Bediuzzaman’s words here. Bediuzzaman obviously selects these words very carefully, giving expression to his idea, in an incontrovertible manner, that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality.

68) Will Be Descended From Our Prophet (saas):

By saying “WILL BE DESCENDED FROM OUR PROPHET (SAAS),” Bediuzzaman is stating that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not be just anyone, but a sayyid descended from our Prophat (saas). Bediuzzaman notes this characteristic of Hazrat Mahdi (as) in various parts of his works, thus emphasizing that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a spiritual entity, but “AN INDIVIDUAL” with a specific lineage. There are several hadiths in which our Prophet (saas) reveals this attribute of Hazrat Mahdi (as). It is of course out of the question of a collective personality being descended from a prophet. Such an idea would also conflict both with the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas) and with Bediuzzaman’s words. As Bediuzzaman says, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be “AN INDIVIDUAL DESCENDED FROM THE LINE OF OUR PROPHET (SAAS).”

THEY RIGHTLY REGARD THE RISALE-I NUR AS THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY OF HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) (69). And one representative of that collective personality is a collective personality coming from the solidarity of the followers of the Nur, and SINCE THEY REGARD THAT REPRESENTATIVE AS A POOR INTERPRETER (70) of that collective personality, THEY SOMETIMES GIVE IT THAT NAME [OF HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] (70). But THIS IS (71), (72) in reality A CONFUSION, (71)A MISUNDERSTANDING (72) … (Emirdag Addendum, p. 266)

Bediuzzaman states that people sometimes think of the collective personality of the Risale-i Nur and of him, as the author of these works, as Hazrat Mahdi (as), but that this is a confusion and an error:

69) They Rightly Regard The Risale-i Nur As The Collective Personality of Hazrat Mahdi (As):

Bediuzzaman’s use of the word “RIGHTLY” here is not to emphasize that it is correct to regard the community of the Risale-i Nur as Hazrat Mahdi (as), but to stress that such an idea is an error easy to fall into and that should be regarded as excusable. This meaning can easily be understood from the course the subject takes right from the beginning to the end. In fact, through the extracts clarified above, Bediuzzaman states that this error arises out of the ignorance of the two great duties that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform worldwide, and says that “THIS IS NOT A JUSTIFIED VIEW.”

70) Since They Regard That Representative As A Poor Interpreter… They Sometimes Give It That Name (of Hazrat Mahdi (As)):

Bediuzzaman says, as the author of the Risale-i Nur, that he, like the Risale-i Nur, is regarded to be Hazrat Mahdi (as), but that this is “A REGARD.” The word “regard” is a word used to express, not a reality, but the existence of a misconception and supposition. Bediuzzaman says that his followers evaluate matters solely from the aspect of his describing of the signs leading to faith, an important task of Hazrat Mahdi (as), but that they ignore the fact of his other two tasks such that “establishing Islamic Union, being the leader of the whole Islamic world and causing the moral values of Islam to rule the world,” are in no way manifested in him. Therefore, he says that the ascription of being the Mahdi attributed to him and to the Risale-i Nur is merely a “regard.”

In addition, by his use of the word “regard,” Bediuzzaman is once again saying that he does not consider himself to be one of the people who hold this view and does not share their thoughts.

71) This is … a Confusion:

Bediuzzaman says that the way he or the Risale-i Nur are regarded as the Mahdi is a “CONFUSION.” The word “CONFUSION” implies “LACK OF DISTINCTNESS AND CLEARNESS BY MIXING SIMILAR THINGS TOGETHER.” (Yeni Lugat, p. 267) Therefore, what we have here is two distinct concepts that are being mixed up. Bediuzzaman says that some people “regard” that he or the Risale-i Nur are Hazrat Mahdi (as), but that this is in reality “a confusion and a misunderstanding.”

Bediuzzaman explains that this confusion stems from the fact that the Risale-i Nur assumes one of the three main duties of Hazrat Mahdi (as), that of“rescuing the faith.” As Bediuzzaman explains, all the mujaddids, the revivers of faith, sent through the course of history have performed only one of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) tasks. “But no mujaddid has ever discharged the three duties at the same time,” including Bediuzzaman himself.

Such comparisons on the subject of the Mahdi have therefore been made about many people over the course of history. However, by explaining “the duties that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform simultaneously and globally,” Bediuzzaman makes it clear that none of these claims about anyone being the Mahdi are true, and that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is an individual who will be coming in the future.

The same thing applies to the ascriptions made regarding the Risale-i Nur and Bediuzzaman. Bediuzzaman explicitly states that there is a “confusion and misunderstanding” because people fail to take into account the information provided regarding Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) attributes in the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas) and in statements made by Islamic scholars.

72) This is … a Misunderstanding:

Bediuzzaman says that to regard him or the Risale-i Nur as the Mahdi is a “MISUNDERSTANDING.” This word implies “A FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND, A MISCONCEPTION, AN ERROR.” (Yeni Lugat, p. 617) Bediuzzaman not only contents himself with saying that to call him or the Risale-i Nur is “a confusion,” but also goes on in the same sentence to say that it is also a “misunderstanding,” or in other words, an “error.” This is an explicit statement. If Bediuzzaman thought that there was any truth at all in the claims of regarding him and the collective personality of the Risale-i Nur as the Mahdi, then he would certainly not have described it as an “error.” He would have used words explicitly stating that these claims were accurate. The fact that he says this is an error, reveals Bediuzzaman’s opinion on the subject clearly and indisputably. Bediuzzaman admits no possibility that he or the Risale-i Nur might be Hazrat Mahdi (as).

Extracts From the Barla Addendum

I believe I am A SERVANT (76) of THIS WONDROUS PERSON (75) WHO (73)WILL APPEAR IN THE FUTURE (74), A VANGUARD(79)TO SET A BACKGROUND (78)FOR HIM (77), and A PIONEERING SOLDIER (82) of THAT (80)GREAT COMMANDER (81). (Barla Addendum, p. 162)

In this extract, Bediuzzaman described himself as a kind of “vanguard” for Hazrat Mahdi (as), who he says will be coming after him:

73) Person, Who:

Bediuzzaman’s use of the word “PERSON, WHO” at the beginning of the passage emphasizes that he is speaking of “AN INDIVIDUAL.” It is without question that the word “PERSON, WHO” refers to “A SINGLE PERSON.” Bediuzzaman is not speaking of a collective personality, group or community. He is imparting the glad tidings of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) as a blessed individual.

With this passage, Bediuzzaman is using the pronoun for this “PERSON, INDIVIDUAL” for the “FIFTH TIME” in extracts referring to Hazrat Mahdi (as). It is out of question of Bediuzzaman using this word five times with no specific intention. In fact, Bediuzzaman uses the word deliberately to refer to Hazrat Mahdi (as), and thus invalidates all claims to verify that this blessed individual is not a collective personality, nor community.

74) Will Appear In The Future:

Bediuzzaman here uses the words “WHO WILL APPEAR IN THE FUTURE” to refer to Hazrat Mahdi (as). Bediuzzaman does not use words such as “came” or“had appeared” that would refer to his own time or previous ages; however, by saying “who will appear in the future,” he is stating that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come in a time after his own. The words “IN THE FUTURE” obviously refer to a later time and make Bediuzzaman’s thoughts on the subject in a manner leaving no place for objections.

In addition, the passages from this work of Bediuzzaman’s often say that Hazrat Mahdi (as) “WILL COME.” He uses the word “COME” for the “FOURTH TIME” in this extract. The fact that it is employed so often makes it clear how convinced Bediuzzaman is that Hazrat Mahdi (as) had not appeared before and had still not come in his own day. By making it clear that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come after his own day, Bediuzzaman is giving Muslims the most accurate information on the subject.

75) A Wondrous Person:

Bediuzzaman uses the word “PERSON,” referring to a specific individual. Counting from the beginning of the book, this is the “4th TIME” that Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as a “PERSON.” By using this word, Bediuzzaman is not referring to a community or a collective personality. If Bediuzzaman thought that Hazrat Mahdi (as) was a collective personality – and as a great scholar he never avoided telling the true facts during the course of his life – he would have stated this explicitly. But Bediuzzaman speaks of the holy person of Hazrat Mahdi (as), here and in many other passages. He says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come as “AN INDIVIDUAL” in the End Times and reiterates this many times, making it impossible to maintain anything else.

Bediuzzaman also uses the third person singular here. That means that Bediuzzaman is speaking of “A SINGLE PERSON,” not “two or three people.” These words of Bediuzzaman’s totally invalidate the idea that Hazrat Mahdi (as) might be a group or a community.

In addition, Bediuzzaman also emphasizes a feature of Hazrat Mahdi (as), whom he describes as “an individual.” He says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “A WONDROUS PERSON.” The word “wondrous” means “awe-inspiring, amazing, the like of which has never been seen.” We are told in the hadiths that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will wage a great intellectual struggle and that his actions wil have worldwide impacts. Bediuzzaman also refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as “WONDROUS,” thus describing this blessed person as “SOMEONE THE LIKE OF WHOM HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE.”

The hadiths of our Prophet (saas) reveal that the methods employed by Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the form of his struggle will be unfamiliar ones. It appears that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will use highly effective methods and will enjoy success in all matters. He will be unaffected by the intense attacks on him because of that success. Bediuzzaman says in these words that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be a person with inherent [wahbi] knowledge (that cannot be acquired subsequently and is bestowed as a blessing from Allah). As can be seen from these words of Bediuzzaman’s, amazing things will happen in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as). According to the hadiths and statements by Islamic scholars, it will be a time never seen before, one of extraodinary natural events, unexpected political changes, of rapid technological progress and of the global preaching of the morals of Islam. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will enjoy Allah’s close interest and assistance at all times. For that reason, as Bediuzzaman also says, he will be instrumental in successes that will astonish those who do not look with the eyes of faith, that will be so marvelous they cannot explain them.

76) A Servant:

Bediuzzaman says in this passage that his own work prepares the ground for Hazrat Mahdi (as) and he describes himself as a “SERVANT” of this holy individual. This is a very definite statement. Had Bediuzzaman been of the opinion that he himself was Hazrat Mahdi (as) he would not have described himself as “Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) servant.” Because it is impossible for “a person to be both Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his servant at one and the same time.” This term therefore explicitly reveals that Bediuzzaman is making it clear that he is not Hazrat Mahdi (as).

77) Him:

This is the “6th TIME” here that Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as “HIM.” This denotes a single person, and is a third person singular pronoun. Bediuzzaman is therefore once again emphasizing that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come as “A PERSON,” not as a collective personality, and that he will be “a single individual.” Bediuzzaman is explicitly stating by his use of the word “HIM” that with his own work he is preparing the way for a holy individual, not for a collective personality.

78) To Prepare A Background:

Bediuzzaman uses the term “TO PREPARE A BACKGROUND FOR HIM,” thus once again stating that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a person who will come after him. As it is known, “preparation” is an action performed before something happens. There is no question of preparation being made for something that already exists. Bediuzzaman is here speaking of himself as “being engaged in preparations before the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as).” And this shows that Hazrat Mahdi (as) had not yet appeared in Bediuzzaman’s time, and that this time was “a time of preparation.”

According to the accounts in the hadiths and statements by Bediuzzaman, the struggle of the End Times will be a most comprehensive, intellectual one. True believers in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will take part in this struggle, while he will have friends and followers who will prepare the ground for him before his coming. Bediuzzaman is referring to this fact by these words. The great Islamic scholar says that with his valuable work he is preparing a climate for Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will come in the End Times. He says that his intellectual activities, services and works will be useful to Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) work and that they will be used as reference points by Hazrat Mahdi (as). Through these statements, Bediuzzaman is once again saying, in his own words, that he is not the Mahdi awaited in the End Times.

Bediuzzaman has also clearly described his own position here. As set out above, it is impossible for someone “to be Hazrat Mahdi (as)” and to be “someone preparing the way for him” at one and the same time. Because the person doing the preparation is not working simultaneously with the person concerned. His duty is before the incident takes place; whereas Hazrat Mahdi (as) will begin his own work at a later time after the way has been prepared.

79) A Vanguard (Auxiliary Force):

The word “VANGUARD” means an “auxiliary force” that goes ahead of the main force. With this word Bediuzzaman associates himself with subsidiary forces that prepare the way for the person who will engage in the real struggle. He says that he is “a helper of Hazrat Mahdi (as)” who will come after him and whose great intellectual struggle will make all the delights brought with them by Islamic moral values to rule the world. If Bediuzzaman had thought that he was Hazrat Mahdi (as) he would not have described himself as “a helper of Hazrat Mahdi (as).” Because it is very explicit that “Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his helpers” are “two different and separate individuals.” If Bediuzzaman says “I am his helper” this is a clear declaration that he is not Hazrat Mahdi (as).

80) That (He):

Bediuzzaman uses the expression ““THAT (HE)” for the “7th TIME” here, thus again emphasizing that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL.” The fact that Bediuzzaman repeats the same pronoun with such insistence shows that this is not for convenience. Bediuzzaman is consciously and deliberately stating that “Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will come in the End Times is A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL” and this makes the matter clear for those people harboring any other ideas.

81) Great Commander:

By referring to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as the “GREAT COMMANDER” Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) “quality of commandership.” There is obviusly no question of a collective personality having the quality of commandership. Bediuzzaman is explicitly stating here that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “A PERSON”who will discharge that duty.

82) A Pioneering Soldier:

Bediuzzaman’s use here of the term “A PIONEERING SOLDIER” means “A SOLDIER WHO GOES ON AHEAD.” With these words, Bediuzzaman is once again comparing himself to a force going ahead of the main body and saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be coming after him. If Bediuzzaman wished to say that he was Hazrat Mahdi (as) he would certainly not have employed such a term. Because this term totally refutes all other claims on the subject and makes the issue absolutely clear. Bediuzzaman is describing himself as “someone WHO GOES ON AHEAD;” and on the other hand describes “Hazrat Mahdi (as) as someone WHO COMES AFTER HIM.”

By using the word “SOLDIER” Bediuzzaman is once again saying that he himself is not Hazrat Mahdi (as), but that his duty is to help and serve him. Hazrat Mahdi (as), whom Bediuzzaman describes himself as a “SERVANT, THE VANGUARD” of and whom he speaks of with such pride and respect, has been awaited by the Islamic world for hundreds of years. By these statements, Bediuzzaman is giving believers the good news that, by Allah’s leave, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will definitely appear in the End Times.

…That has the qualities stated in the hadith as it is narrated (based on evidence) in the “Mustadrak al-Hakim” of “Al-Kutub As-Sittah” and “Sunan Abu Dawud” and “Shuab al-Iman” of Bayhaqi: VERILY ALLAH WILL SEND AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY CENTURY A MUJADDID (REVIVER) (great Islamic scholar, reviver, sent in the beginning of every century to describe the truths of the religion)(83) and that fulfils the duty of warning completely…” (Barla Addendum, p. 119)

83) In Every Century, Allah Sends A Mujaddid (great islamic scholar sent in the beginning of every century to describe the truths of the religion, reviver):

As Bediuzzaman notes here, our Prophet (saas) has said that “a mujaddid will be sent every century:”

“Truly, Great and Glorious Allah shall raise for this Ummah (Community) at the head of every century, ONE who shall renew (revive, clean the religion from bidah which are superstitions that have been added to the religion subsequently) for it its religion.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, 5/100)

The hadith states that Allah sends a mujaddid every century, in other words, someone who will purify the religion of additions to it, who will act in the manner revealed by the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our Prophet (saas) and who will produce solutions from the Qur’an to the questions in people’s minds, all in accordance with the demands of the time. As will be set out in later chapters, Allah sent a mujaddid at the beginning of every century since the time of our Prophet (saas) in order to show people the truth. But the great mujaddid of the End Times will be Hazrat Mahdi (as). As elaborated in many hadiths, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will implement the moral values of the Qur’an thoroughly, will free the religion of superstitious beliefs and practices and will revitalize the Sunnah of our Prophet (saas) and cause it to rule the whole world.

In line with the information that “He sends a mujaddid (reviver) who will restore the religion at the beginning of every century” (it is agreed by the great majority of religious scholars that) HAZRAT MAWLANA KHALID IS THE MUJADDID OF (84) the year 1200, in other words, THE TWELFTH CENTURY (84).(Barla Addendum, p. 120)

In this passage, Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mawlana Khalid is the mujaddid of the Hijri 12th century:

84) Hazret Mawlana Khalid is The Mujaddid of, The Twelfth Century:

As explained in the hadiths, ever since the time of our Prophet (saas) a mujaddid has come at the beginning of every century to tell people of the moral values and commandments of the religion according to the demands of the age. For example, Imam Rabbani is the mujaddid of the year Hijri 1000. Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi was born in Hijri 1193 (1779 AD) and died in Hijri 1242 (1827 AD). The great majority of Islamic scholars are agreed that this blessed person represents the mujaddid between the Hijri 12th and 13th centuries. Bediuzzaman also notes this fact.

EXACTLY AFTER A CENTURY (85), THE CURES OF THE RISALE-I NUR (86) appear all around and SERVE TO THE VERY SAME PURPOSE … With the meaning fortified by the clear expression of the hadith, it is our conviction that, in terms of reviving the religion, the Risale-i Nur is IN THE POSITION OF A MUJADDID (REVIVER) (86).” (Barla Addendum, p. 121)

In this passage, Bediuzzaman is explaining that he and his works were serving as mujaddid 100 years after Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi. Therefore, the mujaddid of the Hijri 13th century is Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. At that of the Hijri 14th century is Hazrat Mahdi (as):

85) Exactly After a Century:

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was born in Hijri 1293 (1878 AD), exactly 100 years after Mawlana Khalid. He died in Hijri 1379 (1960 AD). Bedüzzaman performed great faith-related services 100 years after the mujaddid of the Hijri 12th century, Mawlana Khalid, or in other words in the 13th Hijri century. Therefore, Bediuzzaman is the mujaddid between the Hijri 13th and 14th centuries.

86) The Cures of The Risale-i Nur, Is In The Position of A Mujaddid:

Bediuzzaman says that there is a strong opinion that the Risale-i Nur served as a mujaddid, meaning renewing the faith. The effects of the Risale-Nur were in complete agreement with the activities of the mujaddids, so Bediuzzaman performed the same task as Mawlana Khalid in the Hijri 12th century, by way of the Risale-i Nur in the Hijri 13th century. Therefore, through the Risale-i Nur that was published exactly 100 years after Mawlana Khalid, the mujaddid of the Hijri 12th century, Bediuzzaman is the mujaddid between the Hijri 13th and 14th centuries.

Another important matter revealed here by Bediuzzaman is this: As with all the messengers and the prophets, no mujaddid or restorer of the faith who has been sent since our Prophet (saas) in the history of Islam has ever come as a collective personality. In accordance with the law of Allah revealed by our Lord in the Qur’an, all the mujaddids have come as human beings being guides to salvation, who give warning to people, and give glad tidings to them of Allah’s well pleasure, mercy and Paradise, and who distinguish between good and evil for them. And they have all had collective personalities made up of their followers and helpers.

Mujaddis such as Mawlana Khalid and Bediuzzaman are some of the finest examples of this. These blessed figures are all great Islamic scholars who have come as individuals in the centuries in which they lived. As expected, they all performed the tasks bestowed on them. They all also had collective personalities representing them made up of the people around them and their followers. The people and followers around them also performed great services, representing their collective personalities. But of course these collective personalities always had Mawlana Khalid or Bediuzzaman in person at their head, as their leader. That means that, in exactly the same way Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will come after them will also not himself be a collective personality, but will be an individual, a great Islamic scholar and mujaddid, who will assume the same duties and tell people of the truths of the religion as needed. Bediuzzaman makes this quite clear with the information he provides.

Extracts From Tilsimlar Magazine

Some verses and hadiths speak in allegorical terms of THE GREATEST MUJADDID (REVIVER) (88), WHO WILL APPEAR IN THE END TIMES (87). But the most important of THE THREE DUTIES OF (94)THAT (89) INDIVIDUAL (91) WHO WILL COME (90) AND(92) HIS COMMUNITY (93), and that which appears on the surface to be the smallest, is to salvage faith and illuminate the truths leading to faith like a Sun; THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO INVENT (99) THE REPORTS AND SIGNS (98) regarding THAT (95)INDIVIDUAL (97) WHO WILL COME (96), TO THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY OF THE RISALE-I NUR (98) AND EVEN SOMETIMES TO ITS INTERPRETER (99), and HAVE FAILED TO CONSIDER THIS IMPORTANT DUTY (101) of restoring the essence of the moral values of Islam and applying the succession that RULES WITHIN A VERY BROAD SPHERE (100). (Tilsimlar Magazine, p. 168)

Bediuzzaman spoke of Hazrat Mahdi (as) having three great tasks, and of his being distinguished from the other mujaddids by these:

87) Who Will Appear In The End Times:

Bediuzzaman describes Hazrat Mahdi (as) as an individual, “WHO WILL APPEAR IN THE END TIMES.” This is the “5th TIME” from the beginning of the book that Bediuzzaman employs the terms “WILL APPEAR.” Had Hazrat Mahdi (as) appeared before or during Bediuzzaman’s time, then Bediuzzaman would have said “who appeared” or “who has appeared,” rather than “will appear.” But Bediuzzaman explicitly refers to the future and says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is“AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL APPEAR IN THE FUTURE.” And he insistently repeated this in his works, time and time again. This all goes to show that Hazrat Mahdi (as) had not appeared during or before Bediuzzaman’s own day and reveals that this is a phenomenon to be expected in the End Times.

88) The Greatest Mujaddid (Reviver):

Our Prophet (saas) reveals in the hadiths that a mujaddid will be sent at the beginning of every century to tell people of the moral values and commandments of the religion according to the requirements of the day. For example, Imam Rabbani is the mujaddid of the Hijri 1000s. Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi was born in Hijri 1193 (1779 AD) and died in Hijri 1242 (1827 AD). So this great individual is unanimously agreed to be the mujaddid between the 12th and 13th Hijri centuries. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was born exactly 100 years after Mawlana Khalid in Hijri 1293 (1878 AD), dying in Hijri 1379 (1960 AD). As the author of the Risale-i Nur, published exactly 100 years after Mawlana Khalid, the mujaddid of the Hijri 12th century, Bediuzzaman said he was the mujaddid between the Hijri 13th and 14th centuries.

Bediuzzaman clearly stated that Hazrat Mahdi (as) would appear after him by supplying a date, saying that he would be the mujaddid of the 14th Hijri century. In addition, Bediuzzaman describes Hazrat Mahdi (as) as “THE GREATEST MUJADDID,” who will come in the End Times, thus making evident that he will be the greatest mujaddid of all times.

Bediuzzaman says that Allah will send Hazrat Mahdi (as) at a time when the portents of the End Times are most intense. He will send him as the greatest mujtahid (a scholar who derives legal rulings), the greatest mujaddid (reviver), and the greatest expounder of the law, who will be instrumental in people attaining salvation, a guide to to the true path, the greatest spiritual leader of all time, and as someone descended from our Prophet (saas).

Bediuzzaman uses the titles of “the greatest mujaddid and the greatest mujtahid” for Hazrat Mahdi (as). A “mujaddid” is a reviver and someone who describes the truths of the religion according to the needs of the time; while a “mujtahid” is a great Islamic scholar and leader who derives legal rulings on the basis of verses when required. People with these qualities are great guides and saviors, role models for Islamic societies. Because they issue rulings some of these guides have also become the “leaders of the schools,” obeyed by Muslims.

Imam Hanafi, Imam Sha’afi, Imam Hanbali and Imam Maliqi are the leaders of these four schools. All Sunnis perform deeds according to their rulings. Bediuzzaman says that the greatest of these “mujaddids and mujtahids” will be Hazrat Mahdi (as). This shows that Hazrat Mahdi (as) “will eliminate all schools” as the person most authorized for ijtihad (independent interpretation and rulings on the basis of the Qur’an and the hadiths). In effect, since he will be the Imam of the greatest school he must also remove all the others. And this is confirmed by the way it is revealed that everyone will obey him in his time.

By saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the “greatest mujaddid” Bediuzzaman is also saying that he will be superior to all the schools. Many Islamic scholars, past and present, have mentioned this in their works. In his “Al-Futuhat al- Makkiyah” Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi, one of the greatest Islamic scholars there have ever been, says this on the subject:

…HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL RESTORE THE RELIGION TO EXACTLY AS IT WAS IN THE TIME OF THE PROPHET (SAAS). HE WILL ELIMINATE THE SCHOOLS FROM THE WORLD. NO SCHOOL WILL BE LEFT APART FROM THE TRUE, PURE FAITH. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha’ah li-ashrat al-sa’ah, pp. 186-187).

Huseyin Hilmi Isik describes this characteristic of Hazrat Mahdi (as) as follows in his work, Saadet-i Ebediye (Age of Bliss):

HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL COME TO EARTH IN THE END TIMES. He will be descended from the Messenger of Allah (saas). He will meet up with the Prophet Jesus (as) AND ELIMINATE THE SCHOOLS, AND ONLY HIS SCHOOL WILL REMAIN. (H. Hilmi Işık, Eternal Bliss, p. 35)

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi was a member of the Sha’afi school. He had no school of his own, but followed the founder of another school; and he regarded Imam Sha’afi as the imam of this school. Bediuzzaman points out the matter as follows in his works:

“To begin with: I am a Sha’afi…” (Emirdag Addendum, p. 38)“… to my worship as a Sha’afi.” (Great History of Life, p. 202)“This is all. I am a Sha’afi…” (Great History of Life, p. 206)

“Indeed, since he is in the Sha’afi school…” (Emirdağ Addendum, s. 573)

But Hazrat Mahdi (as) will eliminate all schools and will be above all sects. Bediuzzaman, who is affiliated to one of the schools, says that he is not Hazrat Mahdi (as) by stating that this characteristic will belong to Hazrat Mahdi (as).

89) That (Individual):

This is the “8th TIME” that Bediuzzaman uses the pronoun “THAT” (INDIVIDUAL) to refer to Hazrat Mahdi (as). The pronoun “THAT” before the word “individual” refers to “A SINGLE PERSON.” Therefore, in referring to Hazrat Mahdi (as), Bediuzzaman is clearly not thinking of a community or a collective personality. If he were, then Bediuzzaman would have used the pronoun “they” or some other similar term instead of “THAT” individual. But he does not employ such a term of expression, and does not use such in any one of the passages referring to Hazrat Mahdi (as). On the contrary, he reiterates this singular pronoun “8 TIMES” in the part of the book so far. Bediuzzaman emphasized this word many times in a highly deliberate manner. It is therefore obvious that Bediuzzaman is here speaking of a person who will lead all Muslims and be instrumental as a guide in people’s salvation.

90) Will Come:

Bediuzzaman once again uses the term “that individual WHO WILL COME” to state that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “an individual whose coming is awaited at a later date.” This is the “6th TIME” that Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) “WILL COME.” Since there is no question of Bediuzzaman misinforming Muslims, Hazrat Mahdi (as) had not yet appeared in or before Bediuzzaman’s day. Because if that were the case, then Bediuzzaman would have used “that individual who came” instead of “THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL COME.” And he would not have employed a term proving the exact opposite a total of “6 TIMES.” But the fact that Bediuzzaman repeats such a definitive expression so many times shows that he is definitely certain that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be coming in the future.

91) Individual:

In this description, Bediuzzaman uses the term “that INDIVIDUAL who will come” and not “those individuals who will come.” With these words, Bediuzzaman is explicitly stating that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality, a community or an entity such as a spirit. The word “INDIVIDUAL” is “singular” and is used to refer to a human being. Therefore, Bediuzzaman is here referring to a “SINGLE PERSON.”

In addition, this is the “3rd TIME” that Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as an “INDIVIDUAL.” There is no doubt that there is specific wisdom behind the way that such a thinker as Bediuzzaman uses this kind of a significant term with a very clear meaning so many times. Bediuzzaman is making all Muslims aware that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality and giving them all the glad tidings of this blessed individual’s coming.

92) And:

Bediuzzaman here used the words “that individual who will come AND his community.” “THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL COME” and “HIS COMMUNITY” are two different expressions. By using the word “AND,” Bediuzzaman is explicitly stating that these are two distinct concepts. If Hazrat Mahdi (as) were a collective personality, or had that community assumed the function of the Mahdi, then he would have used expressions making that clear, such as “that community that will come” or “the community that will assume the function of the Mahdi.” However, Bediuzzaman uses the words “that individual who will come AND his community,” in such a way as to leave no room for argument, making it clear that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is an individual at the head of a community made up of his followers. This fact emphasized by Bediuzzaman can clearly be seen from a few questions:

1- Does Bediuzzaman say that this individual who will appear in the End Times will be alone?
No, Bediuzzaman has explained that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will also have a community that follows him.

2- Does Bediuzzaman say that this community will have someone as their head?
Yes, Bediuzzaman has stated that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be the leader of this community.

93) His Community:

Bediuzzaman speaks of the existence of a community here. That community is made of up the helpers and supporters of Hazrat Mahdi (as), whom he describes at “that individual who will come.” Bediuzzaman states in many places in his works, on the basis of the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas), that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a community and that the community will help Hazrat Mahdi (as) in his activities. However, he also says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be at the head of that community as its ruler and leader. Bediuzzaman refers to this mass movement that will follow Hazrat Mahdi (as) and listen to him preach the word of Islam as “the collective personality of Hazrat Mahdi (as).” However, as Bediuzzaman says, it is perfectly clear that one cannot have a collective personality without a leader, without an individual at its head. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be at the head of this community and will personally serve as its leader. Therefore, as Bediuzzaman tells us in these statements, “Hazrat Mahdi (as) IS A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT FOLLOWS HIM AND WHO ACTS AS ITS LEADER.”

94) The Three Duties of:

In speaking of Hazrat Mahdi (as), Bediuzzaman says, “that individual who will come and his community” will have “THREE DUTIES.”

Bediuzzaman sets these three duties of Hazrat Mahdi (as) out as follows:

Bediuzzaman states that atheist philosophies will constitute a threat in the End Times, and that Darwinism and materialism in particular will draw strength from atheism and adopt a perilous course that denies Allah. For that reason, Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) first duty is to struggle against materialist and Darwinist philosophies, built on denial of Allah, and atheism and to totally eliminate the influence of these philosophies over people.

Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) second duty is to revitalize Islamic moral values and virtues and the true Sunnah of our Prophet (saas). Hazrat Mahdi (as) will establish Islamic Union by bringing together Muslims who are fragmented into various groupings, and will assume the leadership of the Islamic world. Bediuzzaman also says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will make that Union a sound foundation and thus protect Muslims from various dangers.

Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) third duty is to unite Islamic community and to forge an alliance with the Christian world. He reveals that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will discharge this duty with the support of believers, loyal sayyids descended from our Prophet (saas) and all other Muslims.

Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform these three tasks at the same time and this will be one of the main signs allowing him to be recognized. Bediuzzaman says that no other mujaddid, himself incuded, has ever discharged these three duties at one and the same time, but that only Hazrat Mahdi (as) will accomplish that.

95) That (Individual):

Bediuzzaman here used the word “THAT” (INDIVIDUAL) for Hazrat Mahdi (as) for the “9th TIME.” The pronoun “THAT” clearly refers to a single individual. Bediuzzaman is not speaking of a spiritual entity, group or movement here but he is imparting the glad tidings of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) coming in person. The repetition of the words for the “9 TIMES” shows that Bediuzzaman’s statements on the subject are too definitive to permit any argument.

96) Who will Come:

Another term that Bediuzzaman frequently reiterates when speaking of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is “WILL COME.” These words are used for the “7th TIME” since the beginning of this book. Bediuzzaman is explicitly stating in this passage that Hazrat Mahdi (as) had not yet come in Bediuzzaman’s own time or before. Had Bediuzzaman thought that Hazrat Mahdi (as) had come and begun work, he would certainly not have employed a term that would have misled all Muslims, and would not have repeated it for “7 TIMES.” It is therefore clear that Bediuzzaman is saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear in a time in the future, after his own.

Furthermore, by saying “WILL COME” Bediuzzaman is also emphasizing that the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is an absolute fact. Were Hazrat Mahdi (as) a spiritual entity, Bediuzzaman would not have used the term “will come” for so many times in these extracts. Therefore, Bediuzzaman is also making it clear in this passage that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a person.

97) Individual:

Bediuzzaman uses the word “INDIVIDUAL” in this passage and also in many places in the Risale-i Nur when referring to Hazrat Mahdi (as). This means that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a “PERSON” and not a community or collective entity. The word “INDIVIDUAL” is used here for the “4th TIME” by Bediuzzaman since the beginning of the book. Since it is inconceivable that Bediuzzaman might mislead Muslims or misinform them and if Hazrat Mahdi (as) were a collective personality or a community, then Bediuzzaman would not have repeated the term “THAT INDIVIDUAL” so often.

98) The Reports and Signs, To The Collective Personality of The Risale-i Nur:

Bediuzzaman is referring in this passage to a widespread misninterpretation. Bediuzzaman says that there are attempts to equate reports and signs concerning Hazrat Mahdi (as) with the community of the Risale-i Nur, but that this is incompatible with the information provided about Hazrat Mahdi (as). Bediuzzaman says that these people arrive at this conclusion because they ignore two of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) great and very important duties. Islamic Union has not yet been established and Hazrat Mahdi (as) has not yet assumed the leadership of all Muslims. Neither has there yet been an alliance with the Christians and the moral values of the Qur’an have not yet ruled the world. None of the mujaddids after the time of our Prophet (saas), Bediuzzaman included, had ever performed these great tasks. Therefore, by expressing this fact, Bediuzzaman is saying that people who think of the collective personality of the Risale-i Nur as the Mahdi are mistaken.

99)They have Attempted to Invent, and Even Sometimes to its Interpreter:

Bediuzzaman says that as the author of the Risale-i Nur, some circles have described him as Hazrat Mahdi (as). As explained above, however, Bediuzzaman says that misinterpretation stems from the ignoring of the two great tasks to be peformed by Hazrat Mahdi (as). He therefore once again states that this idea regarding his being the Mahdi is unfounded.

Bediuzzaman once again emphasizes the erroneous nature of this idea with the word “EVEN.” Bediuzzaman uses the word “even” here in the sense of “and what is even odder and bizarre” He says that people have imagined that the Risale-i Nur is the Mahdi, and that the same xclaim has been made about him, which is even odder. By using this term, Bediuzzaman is once again emphasizing this error being put forward regarding the Mahdi.

Bediuzzaman also states in this expression that the error regarding him being the Mahdi “is not an error being made all the time,” with the word “SOMETIMES” that he uses.

100) Rules Within a very Broad Sphere:

Bediuzzaman sometimes refers to the words “RULES WITHIN A VERY BROAD SPHERE” as a distinctive characteristic of Hazrat Mahdi (as) in some passages in which he discusses Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) three duties. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not perform his duties in one region alone; his area of activity will be in a very broad sphere, in other words, global. Bediuzzaman says that “restricted activities,” which he describes as “narrow sphere,” must not mislead Muslims. Recalling that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform his second and third duties in a broad sphere, he sets out the error of equating the Mahdi with the collective personality of the Risale-i Nur, with full supporting evidence.

The “RULING IN A BROAD SPHERE,” or “GLOBAL DOMINION”, that Bediuzzaman says Hazrat Mahdi (as) will bring about, has not yet come about. This also reveals that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not an individual nor a collective personality who appeared in the past. The discharging on a global basis of the three duties in question will be one of the main signs of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and will make him recognizable to all people.

101) Have Failed to Consider this Important Duty:

Bediuzzaman recalls that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) second (establishing Islamic Union) and third (promulgating the moral values of the Qur’an across the world) duties that he will perform worldwide are the distinctive and identifying features of him. Because Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the only person who will perform these duties globally. Therefore, if these tasks have not been performed together with these characteristics, then it is out of the question to make any claims regarding the Mahdi. Because any such claim would totally conflict with the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas) and statements made in that light by great Islamic scholars and by Bediuzzaman.

By these words, Bediuzzaman is recalling that we need to consider whether these two duties, that will be performed worldwide, have actually been carried out. Bediuzzaman says that any inference regarding someone being the Mahdi in the absence of any such evidence will be mistaken. Bediuzzaman’s use of the term “FAILED TO CONSIDER” means that those who imagine him or the Risale-i Nur to be Hazrat Mahdi (as) have ignored this important element and are therefore mistaken.

THEY RIGHTLY SUPPOSE THE RISALE-I NUR’S COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY TO BE A SORT OF MAHDI (102). And one representative of that collective personality is a collective personality coming from the solidarity of the followers of the Nur, and SINCE SOME OF THEM SUPPOSE ITS POOR INTERPRETER is a representative of that collective personality, THEY SOMETIMES CALL HIM BY THE SAME NAME (OF HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) (103). But THIS IS in reality A CONFUSION, (104) A MISUNDERSTANDING… (105) (Tilsimlar Magazine, p. 201)

Bediuzzaman says that the idea that the Risale-i Nur, or he himself as its author, might be Hazrat Mahdi (as) is nothing more than an error and confusion:

102) They Rightly Suppose The Risale-i Nur’s Collective Personality To Be a Sort of Mahdi:

Bediuzzaman’s use of the term “RIGHTLY” is not to emphasize that it is right to regard the community of the Risale-i Nur as the Mahdi, but rather that might be easy to think this and it is an error to be regarded as excusable. This understanding can easily be determined from his discussion of the subject. Indeed, in passages cited above Bediuzzaman says that this error stems from the two great duties that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform on a global scale being ignored and that this is “NOT A CORRECT VIEW.”

103) Since Some of Them Suppose Its Poor Interpreter, They Sometimes Call Him By The Same Name [of Hazrat Mahdi (as)]:

Bediuzzaman says that he, as the author of the Risale-i Nur, and the Risale-i Nur itself have been regarded as Hazrat Mahdi (as), but that this is merely a “SUPPOSITION.” This verb “to suppose” is an expression of lack of reality, of an error or a deception. Bediuzzaman said that his followers produced an evaluation on the basis of only one important duty of Hazrat Mahdi (as), that of telling people of the signs leading to faith, and that they ignored the absence of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) other two duties in him, those of “establishing Islamic Union, being the leader of the whole Islamic world and bringing the moral values of Islam to rule the world.” He therefore says that to equate the subject of the Mahdi with the Risale-i Nur or with himself is only “a supposition”.

In addition, by saying that “some of them suppose,” Bediuzzaman is stating that he does not include himself among these people and that he does not share their ideas.

104) This Is, A Confusion:

Bediuzzaman says that to regard him or the Risale-i Nur as the Mahdi is a “CONFUSION.” The word “confusion” means “MISTAKING ONE THING FOR ANOTHER.” Therefore, there are two distinct concepts here being confused with one another. Bediuzzaman says that some people “suppose” that he or the Risale-i Nur might be Hazrat Mahdi (as), but that this is in fact “a mistake and confusion.”

Bediuzzaman explains that this confusion stems from the Risale-i Nur assuming one of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) three main duties, that of “saving the faith.” As Bediuzzaman explains, all the mujaddids sent over the course of history have performed one of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) tasks. But “the three duties have never been performed at the same time by any mujaddid,” including Bediuzzaman. Therefore, many people in history have been the subject of such comparison with the Mahdi.

However, by describing “the duties that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform at one and the same time and across the world,” Bediuzzaman is saying that none of these claims about people being the Mahdi are true, and that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is an individual who will come in the future.

The same thing applies to the comparison with the Risale-i Nur and Bediuzzaman. Bediuzzaman says that there is a “confusion and mistake” because some people ignore the information about Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the hadiths of our Prophet’s (saas) and in statements from Islamic scholars.

105) A Misunderstanding:

Bediuzzaman says that it is also a “MISUNDERSTANDING” to regard him or the Risale-i Nur as the Mahdi. The word “MISUNDERSTANDING” means “ERROR, MIS JUDGMENT, DELUSION.” Bediuzzaman does not simply content himself with saying that it is “confusion” for him or the Risale-i Nur to be given the name of Hazrat Mahdi (as). He goes on in the same sentence to emphasize that it is also a “misunderstanding.” This is a very explicit statement. If Bediuzzaman thought there was any truth at all in the claims about being the Mahdi attached to him and the collective personality of Risale-i Nur, he would definitely not have described that as an “error.” He would have used words to indicate that these claims were accurate. The fact that he describes this as an error reveals Bediuzzaman’s opinion on the subject in a very clear manner that leaves no room for any doubt. Bediuzzaman does not accept the view that he or the Risale-i Nur could be Hazrat Mahdi (as).